Central Plateau, North Island

Central Plateau, North Island
View from a friend's farm

Tuesday 26 September 2017

Dithering and Dallying!!!

These days I try hard to set my mind to do something really worthwhile, but in reality end up in bed with a hottie!!!

I need to decide on the fabrics to use in the next project,

Wayward Transparency  with Yvonne

I chose three, and then after they were all measured and cut, took a photo in B&W with my phone. Oh No, not enough contrast between light, medium and dark.Too late to change, a good lesson to learn, take a B&W photo first.

1st choice in colour1st choice in B&W

So off to find what I have here, second choice, grey marbled, green and a  darker one with blues, greens and almost black.

grey,green and dark choiceB&W, grey green and dark choice

Maybe sort of OK, but it did not say “YES, pick me!!”

Next is pale mauve, green and again the darker one. and this seems to be all right. Good contrast, and mauve in the green, picks up the pale mauve  in the lightest fabric.

last choice B&Wlast choice in colour

However we have some time before the cutting begins, so I can play, set them out all over again and ponder some more.

Our weather is so changeable, warmer days, then rain, AGAIN, and some wind. Down south lambing is going well, one  brave ewe had  FOUR baby lambs. They were all fostered out to be bottle fed by another family, one was very tiny, I hope he made the grade and survived.  No huge late season snow falls this year so far, the farmers will be elated to avoid that sleet and snow  with freezing wind.

For years, Hugh has said if we see a logging truck going past,” I just would like one of those logs to fall off at our place”. Well, last week a local man  had  a whole truck load for sale, I sent a txt, he replied, and bingo, they arrived. The huge truck reversed up to this spot, and even after some dry days the huge wheels sunk into the grass, look carefully and you can see the indentation. This was late afternoon, and not the best light for photos.

Truck load of logs #1Logs #2logs #3

We think there are 50!!!!!So all Hugh’s dreams came true. No stumps to clean out, no branches to trim, no scruffy stuff to burn, just cut into rounds and split. Thanks Ross, you will be very popular everywhere you go.

Hugh’s shoulder fracture is healing perfectly, no separation or displacement, he is driving again. My muscle sprain is still very painful, slightly improving, how we take good health and ability to do everything we want to, for granted.

I am slightly better and each day hope  to be able to do a bit more, Roller cutting is out for now,  but fabric can be patted, laid out and arranged again and again.

Thank you all so much for your caring comments, enquiries, and emails. I so appreciate every one, and if I have not replied to you in  person,  pain medication and all else dims the mind!!! At least that is what I believe.

Quotation of the day, from Nelson Mandela

“ May your choices reflect your hopes ,

not your fears”

Greetings from Jean




26 comments:

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said...

Yes, there is definitely plenty more time before you have to commit on the fabric. The second and third groupings do have better contrast. I look forward to seeing what you select!

Susan Heather said...

Glad to hear you are both improving - long may it continue with no more trips in the golden chariot.

The Furry Gnome said...

That's still a lot of cutting abd splitting! Maybe all the medication I'm on explains how dim I am often!

Mystic Quilter said...

That's a lot of wood - who' going to be cutting?? Pleased to read about the improvement for Hugh abut obviously you're still out, and for some time, with the muscle issue. Good therapy playing with fabric even if you can't use the rotary cutter. I'll be iin touch.

QuiltinLibraryLady said...

Glad to hear you are both healing up. Yes, we certainly do take good health for granted. I've noticed myself slowing down a lot this last couple of years...always a few more aches & pains & stiffness.

In your part of the world you are going into Spring as we go into Fall. We were having unseasonably hot, humid weather, but that all changed over the weekend. Now it's chilly and rainy. Today it rained all day and never got up to 50 degrees. The furnace will definitely kick on in the morning. That load of logs you got will make some lovely firewood when your Winter rolls around again.

Razzle Dazzle Quilter said...

Good to hear you are both on the way to recovery.
Gosh that's a lot of wood! That should keep you cosy for some time.

Julie Fukuda said...

Take it one day at a time and Hugh should take it one log at a time.
No stress in patting fabric.

Out To Pasture said...

Thanks for the B & W photo tip for design contrast. That's a neat trick! Glad you are both on the mend and hope you guys will soon be able to cut up all those convenient logs!

Jocelyn is Canadian Needle Nana said...

So happy Jean, there are easings in the aching side of things for the two of you. I hope Hugh won't overdo with all the wood calling his name! What a good idea to look at fabrics in black and white. I should really do that.
Still having a heat wave here which is odd...broke records for summer rainfall here, now breaking records for high temps. It is all so strange.

Carol Mattingly said...

Jean you and Hugh take care. I know what it is like to be in pain. I think we all have in our lives. It takes time for old bones and muscles to heal. Carol

eileeninmd said...

Hello, wow 4 baby lambs. I am sure they are adorable. Wow, that is a lot of wood that needs to be cut, our wood came already split. My hubby just had to stack it. I am glad you and Hugh are doing better, take care and stay well.

Inger said...

I have been off my computer for weeks and had no idea you had hurt yourself too. I am glad to hear you are both improving. I fell a couple of times and was so lucky to not get hurt seriously. Take care and feel better.

Our photos said...

I am glad to read the both of you are improving, i really am !

Sharon - IN said...

The transparency quilt looks to be fun. I like your third grouping. Hope you are on the mend by time the cutting step is up. So nice to hear your husband is healing well and even driving! Hugs

Fundy Blue said...

I had to read your first two lines a couple of times, until I realized that a "hottie" must be a heating pad or a hot water bottle. LOL What a cool trick to see how well fabrics contrast with one another and pick up colors from each other. I'm so glad to hear that Hugh is healing well and that you are improving from day to day. I think it's a positive sign that you are matching fabrics and contemplating quilting again. Take care, my Down Under friend! Hugs to you and Hugh!

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

It is so good to hear you and Hugh are both improving.

What a great load of logs!

Happy envisioning your next quilting project.

Love & hugs ~ FlowerLady

KB said...

I'm so glad to read that both you and Hugh are getting better. And, those logs! Wow! It looks like a lot of work to get them ready for burning, which I hope that you and Hugh will not be doing!

I hope that you continue to get a little better each day.

Tanya said...

I've never thought of taking black and white photos to get an idea of contrast. That is a great idea!

You say that you will just have the cutting of logs to do but that sounds like a huge project in itself... even with ONE log!

Cheryl said...

Your color choices are wonderful! The third grouping speaks to me the most. I'm glad High is recovering nicely. I hope you get better soon too.

Tish Stemple said...

Glad to hear you are both heading toward healing. Sprains are the worst, they just take so long to heal. I had to laugh at Huge's comment and then the huge pile of logs :) That was definitely more than just one falling off. I'm finding picking the fabrics for Yvonne's QAL has been a bit challenging. I can't wait for us all to get started on the quilts.

Paige said...

Jean, glad to hear ya'll are improving! Goodness, it's been one thing after another for you two. Nice to have the wood delivered, what kind of wood is it? Oh, I bet the lambs are so cute! And looks like the last fabric pull has the right contrast. But I understand finding just the right fabric!

Jenn Jilks said...

Gosh, you are right about the B & W! You have a keen eye. I used you name today! You are amazing. I have no friends around here, and have been slowly coming out of my funk. Hubby taking me out to play has helped.

Everyone broadcasts photos of trips afar, but I am content to go only a little distance. I never sleep. We are planning a trip in Nov., Caitlin, the girls and myself. A week in the south at a resort. I am trembling.

I cannot imagine how Hugh can do all that work. Just stacking, for me, wore me out. It must keep you both young, however.
Take care, love from across the ocean. xx

Lori Skoog said...

Yes...I too am glad that you two are improving! I love the idea of taking black and white photos of the fabric to make sure there is enough contrast! You are so smart!

Lorna McMahon said...

What fun to spend some time sifting through your fabrics and pondering what to use for the transparency quilt along! Wood is a lot of work. Having that delivery may have made it a bit less work, but it is still a big chore. Glad to hear you are doing better.

Sandra Walker said...

A bit out of the loop here, so will go back and read the couple posts I must have missed. Sorry! It's perfect to see your batiks, because I just posted my possible pulls for Yvonne's WT QAL, but said at the end I haven't investigated my batiks yet! I love that turquoise one especially! Glad Hugh is coming along so well and is driving again; it's awful to have that taken away. Wow! On the logs, but hope he takes it easy splitting them.

Janet said...

I'm glad to hear you are improving - I just wish for you to have no pain. Hopefully that happens soon. How fortuitous with the truckload of logs! One chore made a little easier for Hugh and you. I took a look at the pattern for your "next project". It is a gorgeous quilt!